Henry Savile

, second Son of Hen. Savile (by Elizab. his Wife Daughter of Rob. Ramsden Gent.) second Son of Joh. Savile of New hall in Yorksh. Esq was born at Bradley alias Over-Bradley near to Halifax in the same County, on the last day of Nov. an. 1549. (3. Ed. 6.) made his first entry into this University in the beginning of the year 1561. and then, according to the fashion, had a Tutor to teach him Grammar, and another Dialect, or else one and the same person did both. In the beginning of Lent 1565. he was admitted Bach. of Arts, and forthwith determined to the admiration of his Auditors, who ever after esteemed him a good Philosopher. About that time an election of Bach. Fellows of Merton coll. (then in a very poor condition for good Scholars, as most places in the University were,) being made, he was chosen one of the number, as was Edm. Bunney, afterwards a learned Theologist. In 1570. our author Savile proceeded in his faculty, and read his Ordinaries on the Almagest of Ptolomy: Whereby growing famous for his learning, especially for the Gr. tongue and Mathematicks, (in which last he voluntarily read a Lecture for some time to the Academians,) he was elected Proctor of the University for two years together, with Joh. Vnderhill of New college, afterwards Rector of that of Lincoln, and Bishop of Oxon. For then, and after, those that executed the Procuratorial office, were elected by the Doctors and Masters of the University for learning, worth, experience, and magnanimous Spirits; but when the Caroline Cicle was made, in 1629. they were elected in their respective Coll. by a few notes. In 1578. he travelled into France and other Countries; and thereupon improving himself in learning, languages, and the knowledge of the World and Men, became a most accomplished person at his return. About that time he was instituted Tutor to Q. Elizab. for the Gr. tongue, who taking a liking to his parts and personage, was not only the sooner made Warden of Merton coll. tho a noted person (Bunney before-mentioned) was elected with him and presented to the Archb. of Cant. for confirmation; but also, by her favour, was made Provost of Eaton coll. in the year 1596. upon the promotion of Dr. Will. Day to the See of Winton. While he governed the former, which was 36 years, Summâ curâ (as ’tis (a)(a) Reg. 2. Act. Societ. coll. Merton. p. 1 [•] 1. said) & diligentiâ fere plusquam humanâ perdius & pernox, he made it his chief endeavours, (tho troubled with the cumbrances of Marriage) to improve it with riches and literature. For the effecting of the last, he always made choice of the best Scholars at the usual elections of Bach. Fellows. In the first that he made after he was Warden, which consisted but of four persons, were Hen. Cuffe and Franc. Mason elected, both noted for their learning, tho the first was unfortunate. In the last, about three years before his death, which consisted of six, four of them (whereof two were afterwards Bishops) were esteemed eminent, namely Dr. Reynolds of Norwych, Dr. Earl of Salisbury, John Doughty and Alex. Fisher: the last of which, tho he hath published nothing, yet in some respects he was as able as any of the rest so to do, had not a weak and timerous Spirit stood in his way. Our author Savile also took as much care as he could to place noted men in Eaton college; among whom were Tho. Allen, Joh. Hales, Tho. Savile, and Jonas Mountague, all of Mert. coll. the last of which (whom he made Usher of the School there) helped him, as Allen and Hales did, in the edition of St. Chrysostome, as I shall tell you elsewhere. When K. Jam. 1. came to the Crown he had a great respect for Mr. Savile and his learning, and as I have heard our Ancients say, he would have advanced him to a higher place, either in Church or State, but he refused it, and only accepted of the Honour of Knighthood from him at Windsore, 21. Sept. 1604. Much about which time Henry his only Son and Heir dying, and no hopes left of propagating his Name, and of setling a Family, he bestowed much of his wealth in publishing books, and in founding two Lectures in this University, which will make his memory honourable not only among the learned, but the righteous for ever, even till the general conflagration shall consume all books and learning. Many are the Encomiums given of him by divers authors, which, if I should enumerate, may make a Manual. In one (b)(b) Ibid. place he is stiled, Musarum Patronus, Mecoenas literarum, fortunarumque Mertonensium verè Pater, &c. In another (c)(c) Jo. [〈◊〉] in lib. De illustr. Argl. [〈…〉] 14. nu. 563. p. 471. he is characterized by a zealous Rom. Cath. who seldom or never speaks well of a Protestant, (or at least by Dr. W. Bishop the publisher of his book,) to be Vir Graecè & Latinè perinde doctus, venerandae Antiquitatis (ut videtur) tam exquisitus indagator tam ingenuus & liberalis editor. To pass by the noble and generous characters given of him by Isaac (d)(d) In Append. ad Epist. Vide etiam [〈…〉] ipsas Epistolas, Ep 100. Script. ad Hen. Savile. Casaubon, Joh. (e)(e) In [〈…〉] Homel. in Gen. int. opera S. [〈◊〉] Boysius, Josias (f)(f) In N [•] t. ad Cor [•] . Y [•] . Mercerus, Marc. (g)(g) In Pref. ad Gaudentii introduct. [〈◊〉] . Meibomius, Jos. (h)(h) In 3. [〈…〉] 232. Script. ad Ric. [〈…〉] Scaliger and others, (among whom must not be forgotten the learned Rich. Mountague, who stiles (i)(i) In his [〈…〉] upon the first part of the [〈…〉] him, The Magazine of all Learning,) I shall proceed to make mention of those things that he hath published and written, which are these following.

Learned notes on, and a translation into English of, Corn. Tacitus his (1) End of Nero and beginning of Galba. (2) Four books of Histories. (3) Life of Agricola. Lond. 1581. 98. &c. fol. A rare translation it is, and the work (k)(k) [〈◊〉] Rule of judgment for writing [〈…〉] . MS. Addres. 4. Sect. 2. of a very great Master indeed, both in our tongue, and that story. For if we consider the difficulty of the original, and the age wherein the Translator lived, is both for the exactness of the version, and the chastity of the language, one of the most accurate and perfect translations, that ever were made into English. The said notes were put into Latin by Is. Gruter, and printed at Amsterdam, 1649. in tw.

A view of certain Military Matters, or Commentaries concerning Roman Warfare. Lond. 1598. &c. fol. Put into Lat. by Marq. Fraherus, printed at Heidleburg 1601. in oct. and at Amsterd. by Is. Gruter 1649. in tw.

Fasti Regum & Episcoporum Angliae usque ad Willielmum Seniorem. These Fasti are at the end of the writers which Sir Hen. Savile published, intit. Rerum Anglicarum Scriptores post Bedam praecipui, &c. viz. Gul. Malmsburiensis, Hen. Huntingdon, Rog. Hoveden, &c. Lond. 1596. fol. The best copies of which authors he collected, viewed, reviewed and corrected. In his Epist. dedic. before which, (made to Q. Elizab.) speaking of the History of England, delivereth these matters, after he had condemned Pol. Virgil—Neostri ex face plobis Historici, &c. Our Historians being of the dr [•] gs of the common People, while they have endeavoured to adorn the Majesty of so great a work, have stained and defiled it with most fusty fooleries. Whereby, tho I wot not, by what hard fortune of this Island, it is came to pass, that your Ancesters (most gracious Queen) most puissant Princes, who embracing a great part of this our World within their Empire, did easily overgo all the Kings of their time in the Glory of great atchievements, now destitute of (as it were) the light of brave Wits, do lie unknown and unregarded, &c. These words being uttered by a Gent. excellently learned, to a Soveraign Queen excellently understanding, and in print, were then understood, and wish’d for, by Historians and curious Men, to have this meaning, That the Majesty of handling our History might once equal the Majesty of the argument. This was their opinion, and the publisher (Great Savile) gave hopes to them that he should be the Man that would do it. All the learned of England were erected, and full of expectation, but at length were grieved to find it vain. Somewhat notwithstanding he is said to have attempted in that argument, by making searches in the Tower of London for furniture out of the Records; but, if he did any such thing, whether impatient of the harsh and dusty rudeness of the subject, or despairing that he could deal so truly as the honour and splendour of his name, and as the nature of the work, required; he desisted, converting all his cares to the edition of St. Chrysostome in Greek. Thus was he carried away by speculation of things Divine, as it were in a Chariot of fire, from this other immortal office to his native Country. He also carefully collected the best copies of books, written by St. Chrysostome, from various parts of the World, and employed learned men to transcribe, and make annotations on, them. Which being done, he printed them at his own charge in a most beautiful edition, bearing this title, S. Johannis Chrysostomi opera Gracè, octo voluminibus. Printed in Eaton coll. 1613. fol. On several parts of which he put learned notes, besides what the profound Joh. Boyse, Andr. Downes, Tho. Allen, &c. had done. The whole charge of which edition, and for the payment of certain Scholars employed beyond the Seas for the obtaining of the best Exemplars of that author, cost him more than 8000 l. But the copy as soon as ’twas finish’d, coming into the hands of a learned French Jesuit, named Fronto Ducaeus of Bordeaux, he mostly translated it into Latin. Which being so done, he printed it in Gr. and Lat. at Paris in 5 volumes, at the charges of the Bishops and Clergy of France, an. 1621. The sixth vol. was put out by him in 1624. and the other volumes (four in number) came out before at different times at Heidleburg, by other hands, at it seems. Sir Hen. Savile also procured six Manuscript copies of Bradwardins book, De causa Dei, to be compared and corrected to his great charge: and afterwards published a true copy thereof under this title, Thomae Bradwardini Archiep. olim Cantuariensis, De causa Dei, contra Pelagium, & de virtute causarum, ad suos Mertonenses. lib. 3. Lond. 1618. fol. Before which Sir Henry put of his own writing,

Vita Thomae Bradwardini Archiep. olim Cantuariensis. He also wrote and was author of,

Praelectiones tresdecem in principium elementorum Euclidis Oxoniae habitae, an. 1620. Oxon. 1621. qu. Some of which Lectures he read when he was a Junior Master, as I have before mentioned.

Oratio coram Reg. Elizab. Oxoniae habita, an. 1592. Oxon. 1658. qu. Published by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Tho. Barlow of Queens coll. from the original in the Bodleian Library, and also by Dr. Joh. Lamphire in the second edit. of Monarchia Britannica. Oxon. 1681. oct.

Tract of the original of Monasteries.

Orations.

Tract concerning the Union of England and Scotland, at the command of K. James 1.

MSS. in the Bodleian Lib.

Concerning the last of these, John Thornborough B. of Bristow did write a book about the same time. Our author Savile also did publish Nazianzen’s Steliteuticks, Zenophon’s Institution of Cyrus, &c. and had many choice Exempl [•] rs in his Library, which were by others published as from Bibliotheca Saviliana. He also translated into elegant Lat. K. James the first his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance: Which fl [•] ing in that dress as far as Rome, was by the Pope and the Conclave sent to Francis Suarez at Salamanca, with a command to answer it. When he had perfected the work, which he calls Defensio fidei Catholicae, &c. cum responsione ad Apologiam pro juramento fidelitatis, &c. it was transmitted to Rome for a view of the Inquisitors, who blotted out what they pleased, and added whatsoever might advance the Pope’s power. Which matter Joh. Salkeld, his his Assistant when he wrote at Salamanca, did often profess when he came over to the Church of England, and lived for some time in the House of Dr. King Bishop of London, that the good old Man Suarez (whose piety and charity he magnifyed much) did not only disavow, but detest it. However printed it was, (at Colen, I think, an. 1614.) but so soon as any of the copies came into England, one was burnt in detestation of the fact, by publick command. Sir Hen. Savile also made several notes with his Pen in many of his books in his choice Library, particularly on Eusebius his Ecclesiastical History, made use of by Hen. Valesius in his edition of that History, an. 1659. as he’ll tell you more at large, if you’ll consult the Preface to that elaborate work. He also made several notes on those books which he gave to the Mathematical Library in the School-Tower, and on others which I have seen. Divers of his Tracts of various subjects in MS. were greedily procured after his death (sometimes also while he lived) by industrious and ingenious Scholars, which do now, or at least did lately, go from hand to hand. At length, after he had lived beyond the age of Man, and had done many noble and generous works for the benefit of learning, he departed this mortal life in Eaton coll. near to Windsore, on the nineteenth day of Febr. in sixteen hundred twenty and one,1621-22. and was buried in the Chappel there, near to the body of Henry his Son, (who died 1604 aged 8 years,) leaving behind him one only daughter named Elizabeth, (begotten on the body of his Wife Margaret, Daughter of George Dacres of Cheshunt in Hertfordshire,) who was married to Sir Jo. Sedley of Kent Baronet. Soon after, the News of his death being sent to Oxon, the Vicechancellour and Doctors ordered a Speech to be publickly spoken to the Academians in memory of so worthy a Benefactor and Scholar as Sir Henry was. Which being accordingly done by Tho. Goffe of Ch. Ch. the Speech was shortly after made publick, with many copies of verses made by the best Poets of the University, added to it, with this title, Vltima Linia Savilii. Oxon. 1622. qu. These things being done, was a black Marble stone laid over his grave on the south side of the Communion Table in the said Chappel of Eaton coll. and a most sumptuous honorary monument to his memory, on the south wall, at the upper end of the Choire of Merton coll. the inscription on which you may see (a)(a) In Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon, lib. 2. p. 89. b. elsewhere. In the Provostship of Eaton coll. succeeded Tho. Murrey a Scot, Tutor and Secretary to Prince Charles, (afterwards K. Ch. 1.) who died, as one (b)(b) Camden in Annal. Reg. Jac. 1. MS. sub an. 1623. observed, on the first day of Apr. 1623. being then newly cut for the Stone, and was buried in the Chap. of that Coll. whose Epitaph there saith that he died on the ninth day of the same month, aged 59 years. Afterwards the King designed (c)(c) Ibid. Sir Will. Beecher to succeed, but by Friends, and many intreaties, Sir Hen. Wotton had that place conser’d on him. In the Wardenship of Mert. coll. succeeded Nath. Brent LL. D. afterwards a Knight, who minding wealth and the setling a Family more than generous actions, that College did nothing near so well flourish as under the Government of Sir Henry.